Apparatus for making a composition containing covered particles



B. J. CRAIG Sept 17, 1957 APPARATUS FOR MAKING A COMPOSITION CONTAININGCOVERED PARTICLES Driginal Filed June 9, 1944 .VIL

INVENTOR.

VUnited States Patent APPARATUS FOR MAKING A COMPOSITION CONTAININGCOVERED PARTICLES Burnie J. Craig, Pasadena, Calif.

Original application .lune 9, 1944, Serial No. 539,589,

now Patent No. 2,631,355, dated March 17, 1953. Divided and thisapplication January 26, 1953, Serial No. 333,264 Y 4 Claims. (Cl. 18-5)In the manufactureof composition cork the comminuted cork is mixed witha binder and the mixture is fed to a suitable forming machine or die.Care must be taken to insure a thorough mixing and there should be noswelling or distorting of the cork particles or any premature n-`solubilizing of the binder.

Also, in manufacturing cork compositions,V when the Abinder and corkparticles are mixed, there is a tendency for the binder to enter thepores of the cork and remain inthe pores and there is also a tendencyfor the binder to enter the pores during the moldingor other treating ofthe composition in the steps of making the iinished product. w

It is one of the objects of this inventionA to provide an apparatus formaking a composite preparation which overcomes the difficultiesmentioned and which has desirable physical properties. c.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatusfor making a porous composition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while in an atmosphere ofgas above atmospheric pressure, are mixed with a binder, after which thebinder is insolubilized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while containing gas, areindividually or in groups covered with a film which entraps the,contained gas.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatusfor making a composition including cork particles wherein the particlescontain entrapped gas which may have a pressure greater than atmosphericpressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while containing a gasunder pressure, are mixed with a binder and thereafter the pressureexterior to the composition is reduced to permit the entrapped gas toexpand so that it tends to force binder from the pores of .the corkparticles.

A further object ofthe invention yis.to provide a n ovel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while containing a gasunderpressure, are mixed with a binder and thereafter the pressureVexterior to the composition is reduced to less than that of theentrapped gas, thus permitting `the entrapped gas to expand and to forcebinderfrom thepores of the particles after which the binder isinsolubilized. v

Another object of the invention is to `provide a novel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while containing gasunder pressure above atmospheric, are individually or in, groupsc'overed with a lm which entraps the contained gas, rafter which Vthegas entrapping particles are secured together to form a `composition or`a thread-like member.V f

Another object of the inventionis;to'jprovidea 'novel apparatus formaking a composition wherein porous particles, while containing gasunder pressure above atmospheric, are individually or in groups coveredwith a lm which entraps the contained gas, after which the gasentrapping particles are mixed with a binder under pressure conditionswhich may permit the entrapped gas to expand.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus formaking a cellular system.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus formaking a cored composition.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view through an apparatus embodying thefeatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, central, sectional view showing the cellularsystem with the binder omitted;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing material with the binder andthe particle covering omitted;

Fig. 4 is a section showing material with the covering, outer coveringand binder;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing material with the particle coveringomitted;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the outer cover ing omitted;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the outer cover'- ing omitted,and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 77, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, an apparatus embodyingthe features of the invention includes a housing 10', having a funnelshaped container 11' in the top thereof. The container has a cylindricalhopper portion 12' .at the bottom thereof in which a rotating hoppergate 13 is mounted. The interior of the housing communicates with a gaspressure conduit 14 and with a constant pressure outlet valve 15 whichdetermines the minimum air pressure within the housing 10. Alsocommunicating with the interior of the housing 10, I show an outlet 16with a constant pressure inlet valve 17 therein which determines themaximum pressure Within the housing.

Extending into the housing I show a plurality of injection jets 18. Thebottom of the housing is tapered inwardly as at 19 and has a cylindricalhopper portion 20 at the bottom thereof in which a rotating hopper gate21 is mounted.

In operation, porous particles are placed in the container 11 while gasunder pressure is maintained within the housing 10 by means of theconduit 14 and is maintained at a desired pressure by means of thevalves 15' and 17. As the rotating hopper gate 13 is rotated, the smallparticles of porous material are allowed to fall into the housing andthrough the path of the sprays where they become coated with coveringmaterial. As the particles fall they may be vulcanized or cured so thatwhen vthe particles reach the bottom` portion of the housing they may beremoved by means of the rotating hopper gate 21. Thus it may be seenthat compressed gas is entrapped in the pores of the porous particlesand sealed therein by particle the coating of material about eachparticle.

The members, formed as described, are compressible as wellV as resilientand elastic due to the contained gas anddue to their natural properties.Y

The porous particles pass from the gate 21 to a discharge spout 25',whence they pass through a distributor 26 which is preferably regulatedto run at a proper speed so that the particles are fed evenly. From thedistributor 26 the particles pass through a Vdischarge portion 27 Thedischarge portion 27' communicates with a tube 50 which extends Vthrougha container or housing 5 1 to which coating., material 52 issuppliedthrough atube 53. The container 51 has an outlet `54 coaxial with, andof larger diameter than, the lower end V55 of the tube 50, which isdisposed in the outlet 54 so that a downwardly tapering annular passage56 is provided through which the material is extruded. Binder material57 is supplied by a pipe 58 which is shown as communicating with thetube 50 above the container 51.

As the particles 60.advance they are ,lirst Vcovered with a coating 61similar to the coating 23 previously described. The coated, gasentrapping particles pass into the tube 50 Where they may be mixed withbinder 57. The particles and binder are'then discharged Vfrom the tube50 into the tube 62 which is formed by the extruded material 52. Thetube 62, with particles therein andV with the binder, passes through atube64 in a housing 65 into a chamber 6,6 in the housing Where acoagulating bath or evaporative atmospheremay be supplied by pipes 67 toiinish the material. Fromthe chamber'66'the material passes to thevhousing 65 from which it may be carried and packaged for shipment. v

When an evaporative atmosphere is employed in the chamber 66 this may besupplied by pipes 67 or pipes 67 since the housing 65 and chamber 66communicate through anfopening 675. When a bath is provided in thechamber 66 the bath material may be supplied by pipes 67 and a gas underpressure by the pipes 67'. The pressure in the housing 65 and chamber 66may be greater than, the same as, or less than, the pressure of the gasentrapped within the particles. If the pressure is greater it will tendto cause the tube 62 to more tightly engage the particles prior to thecuring of the tube so that the particles will be clamped by the tube. Ifthe pressure is less than that of the entrapped air in the particles,the particles and tube will tend to expand prior to finishing the tubeso 4that a more buoyant cellar system will be provided.

The material shown in Fig. 4 will be produced by operating the machinewith all of the material supplied thereto. IWhen the binder is omitted,Amaterial such as shown in Fig. 2 is produced and when both binder andparticle covering are omitted, material shown in Fig. 3 results. Whenthe particle covering only is omitted, the material shown in Fig. 5results, while, when the outer covering is omitted, the material shownin Fig. 6 results. When the particle covering and outer covering areomitted, material of the character shown in Fig. 7 will'be produced.

The porous particles may consist of comminuted cork, sponge rubber, Woodpitch or natural sponge.

The entrapped gas may be air, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen or carbondioxide.

The covering material may be regenerated cellulose formed from viscose,lowly etheried or esterilied cellulose derivatives, soluble in aqueousalkaline solution such as lowly etheried methyl, ethyl or glycolcellulose, and lowly esteried cellulose acetate, highly esteriedcellulose derivatives soluble in organic solvents such as celluloseacetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate-propionate, methyl,ethyl, ethyl or benzyl cellulose, colloidal dispersions of proteins suchas casein, gelatin and the like. Other material such as artificialresins of various kinds may be used.

The covering material might also be natural rubber or a synthetic of thebutadiene co-polymer type such as Buna-S rubber, a synthetic of thechloroprene polymer type, such as neoprene, a synthetic of theisobutylene polymer type having small quantities of other diolines suchas isoprene or butadiene, such as Butyl rubber or a plasticized vinylchloride polymer, such as Koroseal. The natural or artificial rubber maybe employed in latex form with the latices applied to the particles insufficient l l 4 binders and regenerated cellulose formed from viscosemay be employed.

The covering material with the contained particles may be extruded intoa coagulating bath or into an evaporating atmosphere so that thematerial will have the desired physical characteristics.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 539,589, tiledJune 9, 1944, now Patent No. 2,631,355 granted March 17, 1953.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. An apparatus for making a columnar member comprising means to applyindependent coverings to porous particles, means to advance and tosimultaneously bind the independent covered particles in the form of acontinuous column, means to extrude a tubular raw covering about thecontinuous column of covered particles, and means to apply a finishingagent to the tubular raw covering.

2. An apparatus for making a `tubular member which includes coveredporous particles, said apparatus including means to coverporousparticles, a tube adapted to receive and align the vcovered porousparticles, means to introduce a binder for the aligned covered particlesinto the tube as the particles pass therethrough, a container having anextruding outlet about vthe tube, means to supply raw material to theVcontainer under pressure whereby it is extruded about the particles andbinder passing through the tube, a chamber receiving the extrudedmaterial and means to supply finishing material to thechamber. A I

3. An apparatus for making a tubulai member comprising means to causeporous particles to move and to be separated, means to apply a cover toeach particle while it is moving and separated from the other particles,means to form the covered particles into a column, means to introduce abinder into the particles in the column, means to provide an extrudingoutlet about the column forming means, and means to extrude a tubularlayer of material through the outlet and about the column of particlesat the location of extrusion.

4. In an apparatus for producing tubing of predetermined desiredcharacteristics, means to continuously extrude a raw material in theform of a seamless tubing, means to support-the Vtubing for continuouswithdrawal from the point of extrusion, means to direct a column ofporous compressed compressible particles into a section of the tubingextending adjacent to the point of extrusion, the degree of particlecompression being such as to expand the tubing While in the raw to apredetermined desired degree at a point beyond the point of extrusion,means to pass the tubing While in the raw formative state throughanishing pressure controlled vmedium in the vicinity of the point ofextrusion to finish the tubing to an extent that when the tubing hasbeen expanded by said compressible members to the said predetermineddegree it will be in set condition, the degree of expansion of thecompressible members and the degree of gaseous pressure about the tubingduring nishing of the tubing all being correlated in accordance withpredetermined desired physical characteristics of the tubing.

References Cited in the le ofr this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,184,354 Knox May 23, 1916 1,196,648 Bleecker Aug. 29, 1916 1,649,892Daniels Nov. 22, 1927 1,650,687 A Bond Nov. 29, 1927 1,681,566 AndereggAug. 21, 1928 1,758,946 Grupe May 20, 1930 1,854,100 Brito Apr. l2, 19321,978,163 Megow Oct. 23, 1934 2,216,832 Royle Oct. 8, 1940 2,317,331Mearig n Apr. 20, 1943 2,561,392 Marshall Iuly24, 1951

